Sepsis related ACLF mouse model

ABSTRACT: Background and aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is an acute liver and multisystem failure in patients with previously stable cirrhosis. A common cause of ACLF is sepsis secondary to bacterial infection. Sepsis-associated ACLF involves a loss of differentiated liver function in the absence of direct liver injury, and its mechanism is unknown. We aimed to study the mechanism of sepsis associated ACLF using a novel mouse model. Approach and Results: Sepsis-associated ACLF was induced by cecal ligation and puncture procedure (CLP) in mice treated with thioacetamide (TAA). The combination of TAA and CLP resulted in a significant decrease in liver synthetic function and high mortality. These changes were associated with reduced metabolic gene expression and increased C/EBPβ transcriptional activity. We found that C/EBPβ binding to its target gene promoters was increased. In humans C/EBPβ chromatin binding was similarly increased in ACLF group compared to control cirrhosis. Hepatocyte specific Cebpb knockout mice had reduced mortality and increased gene expression of hepatocyte differentiation markers in TAA/CLP mice, suggesting that C/EBPβ promotes liver failure in these mice. C/EBPβ activation was associated with endothelial dysfunction, characterized by reduced Angiopoietin-1/Angiopoietin-2 ratio and increased endothelial production of HGF. Angiopoietin-1 supplementation or Hgf knockdown reduced hepatocyte C/EBPβ accumulation, restored liver function, and reduced mortality, suggesting that endothelial dysfunction induced by sepsis drives acute-on-chronic liver failure via HGF-C/EBPβ pathway. Conclusion: The transcription factor C/EBPβ is activated in both mouse and human ACLF and is a potential therapeutic target to prevent liver failure in patients with sepsis and cirrhosis.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE228610 | GEO | 2023/04/04

REPOSITORIES: GEO